Napoli showcase first glimpse of revamped £174m stadium upgrade

Napoli have provided their first glimpse of the revamped Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, as plans to extend the stadium continues.

Last week, the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, announced plans to redevelop their home in time for Euro 2032. The stadium has been at the centre of debate in recent years, with local authorities pushing for significant upgrades, while Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis has been pushing for a new stadium entirely.

The upgrade would remove the running track around the stadium and extend the roof, raising the current capacity from 54,000 to 70,000, and cost an estimated £174m.

“A concrete path for the modernisation of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona is taking shape,” Manfredi said last week.

“Blues fans know how much it takes to intervene on the facility to make it safer and more efficient, up to the great sporting challenges and international events that await our city.

“In the next few days, in fact, we will again meet with the UEFA delegates to present the candidature of Naples and the Maradona stadium to host the Euro 2032 matches.

“The collaboration between local and national institutions – on Maradona we finally also have the support of the (Campania) Region – allows us to plan, finance and carry out long-term interventions, in the exclusive interest of citizens and fans.

“Naples deserves a stadium worthy of its history, its fans and the future of its ever-more modern city.”

And now fans have been treated to their first glimpse of how the stadium might look once redevelopment is complete.

First glimpse of Napoli’s revamped £174m stadium upgrade

On the designs, Councillor for Infrastructure, Edoardo Cosenza, said: “We presented the progress of the project for the new Maradona, specifically, the design of the entire interior layout, with the new first tier adjoining the pitch.

“The project is being entirely developed in BIM (building information modelling) mode, which allows for great precision and flexibility.

“The images show the current, non-symmetrical position of the pitch and the new, centred position, with the stands closely spaced: structural cross-sections and views that perfectly reflect the future visibility resulting from the project. All seats meet UEFA visibility requirements.”

The plans also include a first stadium-wide video ring and VIP seats in the central stand.

Additionally, bar and restaurant services will also be revamped to improve the stadium experience

Napoli will continue to play in their home stadium while the upgrades take place.